Portable valve actuator

ABSTRACT

A portable valve actuator for turning hard to operate valve stems such as found on valves buried in the ground. The operator has a yoke that is placed over the valve and engages sides of the valve body. A demountable power drive unit is mounted to the yoke and actuates a socket releasably engaged with the valve stem. The operator can be used with valves of different sizes in an upright or a horizontal position.

[ 1 Oct. 30, 1973 Used States Patent 1191 Archer [5 PORTABLE VALVEACTUATOR 2,775,912 1/1957 3,277,749 10/1966 Osbum et a1. [75] Arch",vacavl'ei Cahf- 3,468,198 9/1969 De [73] Assignee; Clarence Ver Vaecke,Vacaville,

Calif. a part interest Primary Examiner-Martin P. Schwadron AssistantExaminer-David R. Matthews 1972 Attorney-Stephen S. Townsend et a1.

[22] Filed:

ABSTRACT [211 Appl. No.: 229,059

eer-

e, mmwd r o Wn A O-ld dw mea 32 m u b a be wmm 8 nhm e m h u kt HO-I[0Y0 hmau f 8 3% 8 1 s m m l r n WMPe fl v em h bm bm e msilN r. 3 oe vwm Av m 60 6 50%5 NW2 83 2%. ,k 1 9 M 2 U 01 5 wa 2 l y 0 5 3 R nu.l "5M1 2 mm mmh "mm Mme HS L C IM te I I UmF 1111 2100 555 [[l mountablepower drive unit is mounted to the yoke 5 References Cited and actuatesa socket releasably engaged with the UNITED STATES PATENTS valve stem.The operator can be used with valves of different sizes in an upright ora horizontal position. 975,292 11/1910 251/292 X 1,569,644 1/1926251/292 23 Claims, 11 Drawing FiguresIlllllllllllllllllfllhll!lMllllllllllllil Patented Oct. 30, 1973 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 3 .6

Patented Oct. 30, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 1O PORTABLE VALVE ACTUATORBRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Various valve operators are known.Usually such operators are hand wheel or motor operated and fixedlymounted to the valve. It is also known to provide portable valveactuators. US. Pat. No. 1,815,755 (Armstrong) describes a removablevalve wrench for use with ground buried valves. In the Armstrong patentas well as in all other instances known to the inventor, such valveoperators primarily provide access to the valve beneath the ground andan extended lever arm so that a person can open or close the valve.

Ground buried valves, such as found in gas and water distributionsystems, are either never operated or they are operated at timeintervals that may be as long as several years. Such extended lack ofoperation has a tendency to bind the valve stem due to accumulatingdeposits, silt, corrosion and the like in the valve interior. Thus, veryhigh torques must be applied to turn the stem.

Application of the necessary stem operating torque results in asubstantial force that tends to rotate the whole valve body. Valve bodyrotation is prevented solely by the pipes that extend from the valve.Thus, as the required torque to operate the valve increases the valverotating force increases similarly. Eventually it will become excessiveand damage or break the pipes, particularly when the pipes areconstructed of relatively low-strength plastic materials or of brittlemetal castings. Damage to the pipe requires extensive repair work and iscostly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a portable valveoperator particularly suited for turning hard to turn stems such asfound in ground buried valves of communal gas and water distributionsystems. The operator can be adjusted for use with valves of differentsizes, can be used on valves buried in the ground as well as onsidemounted valves, and is constructed so that the stem operating torqueis not transmitted to the pipes extending from the valve body.

Broadly speaking, a valve operator constructed in accordance with theinvention comprises a yoke constructed of a pair of opposing, spacedapart members for placement against and engagement of opposite sides ofthe valve body. One or more plates or the like interconnect portions ofthe members extending beyond, e.g., above, and across the valve body andthe valve stem. A socket for engaging the valve stem is carried by theyoke. A power drive is rigidly connected to the yoke and the socket forturning the socket, and therewith, the stem.

In one embodiment of the invention the plate defines a flange and themembers are rigidly secured to a flange. The drive unit is mounted tothe flange closely adjacent the stem drive socket. This operator isparticularly adapted for actuating stems of buried, sidemounted valves.The drive unit is demountable from the flange. A plurality ofdifferently sized rigid yokes are provided each for use with a valve ofdifferent size and/or configuration.

In another embodiment of the invention the valve body engaging membersare pivotally secured to plates. Adjacent the end of the members andspaced above the valve is a cam or the like that spreads the membersapart. The lower ends of the members are thereby firmly engaged with thevalve body. A tubular extension is mounted to at least one of the platesand terminates in a flange which in turn demountably connects to thedrive unit. A drive bar is rotatably disposed within the tubular memberand can be connected with the drive unit and the stem socket.

In both instances, the drive unit comprises a reduction drive such as areduction gear for developing the necessary high torque. A relativelysmall operating handle is included. The only forces transmitted to thepipes extending from the valve body is the moment applied to thereduction drive actuating handle. The large torque generated by thedrive is transmitted to the valve body via the drive bar to the socketand the stem. From the body it is then transmitted back to the driveunit via the body grasping members, the tubular member and the flangemounted thereto. These large forces, therefore, are isolated from thepipes extending from the valve. Damage to the pipes and costly repairsare thereby eliminated even though the valve might require very highoperating torques.

The portable operator of the present invention is relatively compact andlightweight and is easily handcarried and placed on the valve in thefield. It is of a simple construction, employs only standard componentsand is therefore inexpensive. It does provide an ideal answer to theproblem of operating infrequently operated valves without endangeringthe pipes to which the valve is connected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view ofone embodiment of a portable valve actuator constructed in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the operator illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the bottom end of theoperator shown in FIG. 1 and illustrates the use of the operator on avalve of a different size;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view and is taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view similar to FIG. 4 but illustratesthe manner in which the operator grasps the valve body;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevational view, in section,of the drive unit of the operator shown in FIG. 1 and the connection ofthe drive unit to the operator yoke;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a side-mounted valve buried in theground;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 and illustrates another embodiment ofthe valve operator of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates connection of the drive unit to the valve operatorshown in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the valve shown in FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1-6, in onepreferred embodiment of the invention a portable valve actuator 12 foroperating a stem 14 of a valve 16 broadly comprises a yoke 18, anextension 20 disposed on top of the yoke and a power drive unit 22demountably secured to the extension. A ratchet handle 24 is providedfor actuating the power drive unit. The moment exerted on the handle isamplified by a reduction gear drive 26 of the drive unit and istransmitted via a drive bar 28 disposed within extension 20 to a sternengaging socket 30.

To prevent the torque exerted on the stem 14 from turning valve body 32and thus straining pipes 34 extending from the body, yoke 18 is placedover and grasps sides 36 of the body. A torque applied to the stem isthus transmitted to the valve body and hence to yoke 18. When applied toa valve the portable valve actuator 12 of the present invention takes upall torques generated within itself without transmission to the pipes.Pipe damage or breakage is thereby prevented. The only forces to whichthe actuator of the invention subjects the pipes is the relatively minormoment applied to ratchet handle 24.

Turning now to the detailed construction of the actuator, yoke 18 isdefined by a pair of spaced apart, opposite elongate bar members 38which are retained to a pair of vertically spaced plates 40, 42 rigidlysecured to a lower end of a tube 44 defining the extension 20. The barmembers have a square or rectangular cross section, they are preferablyconstructed of conventional steel bar stock, and they are disposed inslightly oversized apertures 46 of lower plate 42 which are aligned withoutwardly opening slots 48 of upper plate 40. Pins 50 or the like retainthe bar members to plate 42 to prevent the bar members from accidentallydisengaging the plates.

Bar members 38 extend sufficiently below lower plate 42 so that lowerends 52 of the members extend over the full vertical height of sides 36of the valve body. A rotatable cam 54 is mounted on top of upper plate40 and has two cam surfaces 56 which are shaped to permit bar members 38to be disposed adjacent the innermost end of slots 48 (shown in FIG. 4)or at a position in which the upper ends of the bar members are spreadapart to about the position shown in FIG. 5. A handle 58 is provided forrotating the cam and a retaining ring 60 positions the cam closelyadjacent the upper sides of plate 40.

When the cam is roated, as from the position shown in FIG. 4 to theposition shown in FIG. 5, the bar members pivot about horizontal axeswhich are located in the vicinity of apertures 46 and lower plates 42.The pivotal movement of the bar members moves lower ends 52 in theopposite direction from the movement of the upper end of the bar memberstowards or away from each other. The lower end of the bar members canthereby be repositioned to take up variations in valve body dimensionsand to adapt the yoke for engaging valve bodies of different sizevalves.

To increase the range of valves for which the yoke can be adapted, pads62 are secured to the lower end of the bar members. The pads preferablyhave a thickness of about one-half inch. For use of the yoke with largesize valves, say a 2 inch gas valve, the bar members are positioned asshown in FIG. 1 with pads 62 facing outwardly. To use the same yoke on a1 V2 inch valve, the bar members are removed from plates 40, 42 byremoving retaining pins 50 and the members are reinserted with pads 62facing inwardly as illustrated in FIG. 3. In most of these uses, camhandle 58 can be rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed inFIG. d to firmly engage the bar member or pads, respectively, with thevalve body sides and to thus take up dimensional tolerances. Using theoperator on a yet smaller size valve, say a l inch valve, the barmembers remain in the position as for use in a i A inch valve (FIG. 3)but cam 56 is rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 4, until thepads are sufficiently moved inwardly to engage the valve body sides.Thus, yoke 18 is adapted for use with differently sized valves andparticularly for use with the valve sizes commonly encountered oncommunal gas and water distribution systems.

Still referring to FIGS. 1-6, tube 44 of extension 20 has a sufficientlength so that it extends above ground when yoke 18 is engaged with thevalve to be operated. A disc 64 is rigidly secured to the upper end ofthe yoke. A rectangular flange 66 is preferably demountably secured tothe disc with bolts 68. Spacers 70 space the flange from the disc. Forpurposes to be described hereinafter, flange 66 includes at least onepair of spaced apart, parallel edges 72 which extend outwardly beyondthe spacers and disc.

Drive bar 28 is mounted interiorly of tube 44 and includes upper andlower end sockets 74. The upper socket is disposed immediately belowdisc 64. The end face of the lower socket is in the vicinty of plate 42and is engaged by a conventional spring retaining ring 76 which retainsthe drive bar within the tube and prevents axial movements of the bar.The sockets of the drive bar have a diameter slightly less than theinner diameter of tube 44 so that the tube acts as a journal for them. Alubricant or the like can be placed within tube 44 to keep the socketslubricated and prevent high friction and/or wear at the contact pointsbetween the rotatable drive shaft, the disc, the tube and the retainingring.

Socket 30 which drives stem 14 is demountably secured to the lower endof the drive bar with a lower drive pin 78. The drive pin has aconventional, e.g., square, cross section and includes spring-loadedballs (not shown) so that it retains itself to the socket in the lowerend of the drive bar and so that it retains the stern driving socketwhile permitting it to be disengaged from both. The stem drive socket isreadily replaced for use with differently sized valves.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the reduction gear drive 26 of powerdrive unit 22 is retained between a pair of spaced apart upper and lowerplates 80 and 82, respectively. Spacers 84 maintain the plates at thedesired distance and threaded bolts 86 firmly secure the plates to eachother. The lower plate includes a pair of parallel, spaced apartU-shaped channels 88 which are dimensioned so that they can be slippedover edges 72 of yoke flange 62. In this manner, the power drive unitcan be retained to the yoke.

A driven gear 90 of the reduction drive has a hub journal in alignedapertures 92 of plates 80, 82 and a square axial bore 94.

An upper drive pin 96 engages upper drive bar socket 74 and is retainedthereto with a spring-loaded ball 98. The drive pin extends upwardlyfrom socket 74 and terminates just below the upper surface of yokeflange 66. Its upper end includes a square recess 100 dimensioned toreceive a drop pin 102 which in turn fits snugly in square bore 94 ofthe driven gear.

In use, power drive unit 22 is secured to flange 66 by removing drop pin102 and slideably engaging flange edges 72 with channels 88 until squarebore 94 in driven gear .30 is aligned with upper drive pin 96. The

drop pin is then inserted and engaged with recess 100 in the upper drivepin. Thereafter, drive bar 28 is coupled to the driven gear. Tofacilitate alignment suitable stops (not separately shown) can beprovided. Drop pin 192 also prevents accidental disengagement orrelative motion between flange 66 and power drive unit 22.

The above-described construction of the connection between the powerdrive unit and the flange maintains the power drive unit separate fromthe remainder of the valve actuator of the present invention. Thissubstantially economizes the construction of actuators and enables theuse of the drive unit with another embodiment of the valve actuator ofthe present invention as described hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGS. 811, the embodiment of the operator illustratedin FIGS. 1-6 is not well adapted for use with buried, side-mountedvalves 116 in which a stem 114 is horizontally oriented becauseextension will usually be relatively long. For such applications, thepresent invention provides a valve actuator 112 which can be used withpower drive unit 22, the construction of which is described in detailabove. The actuator 112 broadly comprises only a yoke 118, and,demountably secured thereto, the power drive unit 22.

Yoke 118 is defined by a pair of spaced apart, opposite bar members 138which are rigidly secured, e.g., welded to one side of the disc 164. Thespacing between the bar members corresponds to the spacing between sides136 of a particular valve body 132. Thus, one yoke is provided for eachvalve size. To change actuator 112 for use with differently sizedvalves, yoke 118 is replaced.

A flange 166, identical to flange 66 shown in FIGS. 1-7, is spaced fromdisc 164 with spacers 170 and secured thereto with bolts 168. Flange 166defines edges 172 which are identically constructed to edges 72 shown inFIGS. 1-7 so that power drive unit 22 can be mounted on and used withvalve actuator 112 shown in F168. 8-11.

A drive pin 178 is disposed between disc 164 and flange 166 and isretained thereto with a retaining ring (not shown) or the like. Thedrive pin includes a recess 100 and a shoulder 177 that rests on disc164. A square drive 179 extends through disc 164 and is dimensioned forengaging a correspondingly square aperture in socket 130. As before, aspring-loaded ball (not shown) removably retains the socket to thesquare drive of the drive pin.

Actuator 112 is used by connecting drive unit 22 to yoke 118 andslipping it horizontally over sidemounted valve 116 so that ratchet 24extends upwardly. When bar members 138 engage sides 136 of valve body132 the ratchet can be operated. Rotation of driven gear 96 is therebytransmitted to valve stem 114 without transmission of the torque topipes 1341- extending from the valve.

Thus, the valve operator of the present invention can be employed withhorizontally or side-mounted valves as well as with upright mountedvalves in the ground. The additional cost for providing thisadaptability, namely the cost of constructing the different sized yokes118, is small since the main cost items, namely the adjustable yoke 18and the power drive unit 22 are interchangeable.

I claim:

1. A portable valve actuator for turning a valve stem withouttransmitting large forces to pipes extending from a body of the valve,the actuator comprising socket means for engaging the stern, yoke meansincluding opposing members for placement over the body and for engagingsides of the body with the members, means rotatably mounting the socketmeans to the yoke means, and actuating means secured to the yoke meansand connected with the socket means for transmitting a stem turningforce to the socket means and, therewith, the stem.

2. A valve actuator in accordance with claim 1 including means forbiasing the members into engagement with the body sides.

3. A valve operator according to claim 1 including means for laterallymoving the members towards and away from each other for adapting theactuator for use with valves of different sizes.

4. A valve actuator according to claim 1 wherein the actuating meansincludes a mounting plate connected to the yoke means, a self-containedreduction drive, and means for demountably securing the reduction driveto the mounting plate.

5. A valve actuator according to claim 4 including means spacing themounting plate a substantial distance from the yoke means.

6. An actuator according to claim 4 wherein the yoke means is defined bya pair of spaced apart, opposite members, and means securing the membersto a side of the mounting plate to thereby form a generally U- shapedyoke mounting the reduction drive closely adjacent the members and thevalve.

7. A portable valve operator for turning a valve stem requiring arelatively large torque without subjecting pipes connected to a body ofthe valve to large forces to prevent pipe damage, the operatorcomprising: a pair of opposing, spaced apart members for placementagainst and engagement of opposite sides of the valve body, meansinterconnecting portions of the members extending beyond the body, themembers having a sufficient length so that the interengaging means isspaced from the body and the stem and extends across the valve body, asocket for engaging the stem, and drive means operatively coupled withthe portion of the members for Turning the socket, and therewith thestem, whereby turning moments are transmitted from the drive means tothe socket, the valve body, the members and hence back to the drivemeans without stress ing the pipes connected to the valve.

8. An operator according to claim 7 wherein the interengaging meanscomprises a pair of spaced apart plates each having a pair of spacedapart openings, the openings in the plates being aligned with eachother, wherein the members comprise elongate bars extending through theopenings, and including means for biasing apart ends of the bars remotefrom the valve to thereby bias the bars into firm contact with the valvebody sides.

9. An operator according to claim 8 wherein the opeings in one of theplates are defined by holes having a slightly greater dimension than across section of the bars to allow relative pivotal motions of the barin the hole when the bars are biased against the valve body sides.

10. An operator according to claim 9 including pad means secured to oneside of the bars, and including means permitting repositioning of thebars in the holes by 180 so that the pads or the bars alternativelyengage the valve body sides for adjusting the operator for use withvalves of different sizes.

11. An operator according to claim 10 including means for removing thesocket and replacing it with a socket of a different size for use of theoperator with valves having differently sized stems.

12. An operator according to claim 8 wherein the drive means includesmeans defining a pair of substantially parallel, spaced apart edges forconnection with the members, and a reduction drive unit having meanscomplementary to the edges for placement on and removal from the edgesto permit disengagement between the edge defining means, and therewiththe valve side engaging members, and the reduction drive unit,respectively.

13. An operator according to claim 12 wherein the means defining theedges is closely adjacent the means interconnecting portions of themembers.

14. An operator according to claim 12 including means spacing the edgedefining means from the means interconnecting portions of the membersfor use of the valve operator with inaccessible valves such as valvesburied in the ground.

15. An operator according to claim 14 wherein the means spacing the edgedefining means comprises tubular means rigidly secured to the edgedefining means and to at least part of the means for interconnectingportions of the members, and wherein the drive means includes a drivebar disposed within the tubular means and extending over substantiallythe full length thereof, means rotatably retaining the drive bar to thetubular means, and means for demountably engaging the socket and thereduction drive unit with respective ends of the drive bar.

36. An operator according to claim 15 wherein an end of the drive baradjacent the edge defining means includes means defining a socket, andwherein the drive unit includes means for demountably engaging suchsocket for the transmission of rotary motions and torque from the driveunit to the drive bar.

17. An operator according to claim 16 wherein the drive unit includesmeans for grasping the edge defining means, the grasping meanspermitting relative slideable motions between the edge defining meansand the drive unit for optional removal of the drive unit, and includinga drive pin for demountably engaging the socket of the drive bar, andmeans for retracting the drive pin from such socket to enabledisengagement of the drive unit and the drive bar, respectively, forremoval of the drive unit from the edge defining means.

18. An adjustable portable operator for use with differently sizedvalves for turning relatively high torque valve stems such asencountered on infrequently operated underground valves and the likewithout subjecting pipes connected to the valve to large forces andpossible damage from operating the stem, the operator comprising: firstand second spaced apart plates each plate having a pair of openingsaligned with openings in the other plate, a pair of bars extendingthrough the openings and terminating in a grasping end spaced asubstantial distance from the second plate, means permitting pivotalmovements of the bars in the openings of the second plate, meansadjacent the first plate for biasing apart ends of the bars opposite thegrasping ends to thereby pivot the bars about axes coinciding with theopenings in the second plate and grasp a valve body placed therebetween,a tubular member secured to at least one of the plates and extending asubstantial distance away from the plates, a flange secured to a freeend of the tubular member, the flange having opposite, parallel sides, adrive bar disposed within the tubular member and extending oversubstantially the full length thereof, means rotatably mounting thedrive bar within the tubular member, means for interchangeably securingstem actuating, differently sized sockets to an end of the drive barproximate the plates, a power drive unit comprising a bottom plateincluding a pair of opposite, generally U-shaped members dimensioned toslideably engage the flange edges and thereby demountably secure thedrive unit to the flange, a reduction drive mounted to the bottom plateincluding a driven member, means mounting the driven member for rotationto the bottom plate, the last mentioned means including an opening,means for aligning the opening with the drive bar and means forremovably securing a drive pin in the opening of the driven member, thedrive pin having a length greater than the combined axial length of thedrive member and the bottom plate and an end configuration for engagingthe other end of the drive shaft to impart rotational movements of thedriven member to the drive shaft and thereby, via the stem socket to thevalve stem while torque is transmitted in a closed system from the driveunit to the stem socket, the valve body and hence to the grasping barsand back to the drive unit via the tubular means.

19. A valve operator for turning high torque valve stems of sidemounted, infrequently used valves buried in the ground and the like andfor with valves of varying configurations comprising: a power drive unitdefined by a bottom plate including a pair of opposing, generallyU-shaped brackets, a top plate spaced from the bottom plate, and areduction drive disposed between the plates, the reduction driveincluding a driven member having an axial aperture, means for rotatablymounting the drive member between the plates, and a drive pin extensiblethrough the axial aperture and past the bottom plate, the operatorfurther including yoke means having a pair of opposite, spaced apartmembers for placement over the valve body and engaging sides of thevalve body, a flange interconnecting the members and terminating in atleast two spaced apart, generally parallel sides dimensioned to fitwithin the opposing channels of the bottom plate for demountablysecuring the drive unit to the yoke, the flange including an aperturefor extending the drive pin, a stem engaging socket, and means fordemountably interconnecting the socket and the drive pin to impartrotational motions of the driven member to the socket and thereby rotatethe valve stem without subjecting pipes extending from the valve body totorsional forces generated by the reduction drive.

20. An operator according to claim 19 including a plurality of yokemeans each having a flange with substantially identical parallel sidesfor engaging the drive unit and members of differing spacings forengaging sides of differently sized valve bodies.

21. A portable valve actuator for turning a valve stem withouttransmitting large forces to pipes extending from a body of the valve,the actuator comprising generally U-shaped yoke means including opposingmembers for placement against and engaging the body and meansinterconnecting upper ends of the members, socket means for engaging thestem rotatably mounted to the yoke means, and actuating meansoperatively coupled with the yoke means and the socket means fortransmitting a stem turning force to the socket means and, therewith, tothe stem' 22. A portable valve actuator for turning a valve stem withouttransmitting large forces to pipes extending from a body of the valve,the actuator comprising elongate, downwardly extending plates spacedapart a sufficient distance for engaging sides of the body with lowerends thereof, a member interconnecting upper ends of the plates, socketmeans disposed between the plates for engaging the stern, means coupledto the socket means, extending through an opening in the member andbeing rotatable relative to the member for rotation of the socket means,means for spacing the member sufficiently from the body and the stem sothat it extends thereacross, and means operatively coupled with themember and the socket means for transmitting a stem turning force to thesocket means and, therewith, to the stem without from the valve body.

23. A portable valve operator for turning a valve stern requiring arelatively large torque, the valve having a body mounting the stem andmeans for connecting the body to a pipe, the operator comprising: a pairof opposing, elongate spaced apart plate means for placement against andengagement of opposite sides of the valve body, the plate means having asufficient length so that ends thereof extend above the valve body andthe stem, means interconnecting portions of the plate means extendingbeyond the body, the interconnecting means extending across the valveand the stem at a point spaced thereabove, a socket for engaging thestem, and drive means operatively coupled to both the interconnectingmeans and the socket for turning the socket, and therewith the stem, andfor forming a closed power transmitting system between the socket, thevalve, the plate means and the interconnecting means so that at mostonly minor forces are applied to the pipe even when a relatively largestem operating torque is exerted to the stem,

mg I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent NO-3!768I775 Dated Oct. 30, 1973 Inventofls) Monte r her It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 9 line 22, claim 22, before "from",

please insert --transmitting significant forces to pipes extending--".

Signed and sealed this 16th day of April 197'4.

(SEAL) Attest:

c. MARSHALL DANN Commissiioner of Patents EDWARD I-I.FLETCI-IER,JR.Attesting Officer

1. A portable valve actuator for turning a valve stem withouttransmitting large forces to pipes extending from a body of the valve,the actuator comprising socket means for engaging the stem, yoke meansincluding opposing members for placement over the body and for engagingsides of the body with the members, means rotatably mounting the socketmeans to the yoke means, and actuating means secured to the yoke meansand connected with the socket means for transmitting a stem turningforce to the socket means and, therewith, the stem.
 2. A valve actuatorin accordance with claim 1 including means for biasing the members intoengagement with the body sides.
 3. A valve operator according to claim 1including means for laterally moving the members towards and away fromeach other for adapting the actuator for use with valves of differentsizes.
 4. A valve actuator according to claim 1 wherein the actuatingmeans includes a mounting plate connected to the yoke means, aself-contained reduction drive, and means for demountably securing thereduction drive to the mounting plate.
 5. A valve actuator according toclaim 4 including means spacing the mounting plate a substantialdistance from the yoke means.
 6. An actuator according to claim 4wherein the yoke means is defined by a pair of spaced apart, oppositemembers, and means securing the members to a side of the mounting plateto thereby form a generally U-shaped yoke mounting the reduction driveclosely adjacent the members and the valve.
 7. A portable valve operatorfor turning a valve stem requiring a relatively large torque withoutsubjecting pipes connected to a body of the valve to large forces toprevent pipe damage, the operator comprising: a pair of opposing, spacedapart members for placement against and engagement of opposite sides ofthe valve body, means interconnecting portions of the members extendingbeyond the body, the members having a sufficient length so that theinterengaging means is spaced from the body and the stem and extendsacross the valve body, a socket for engaging the stem, and drive meansoperatively coupled with the portion of the members for turning thesocket, and therewith the stem, whereby turning moments are transmittedfrom the drive means to the socket, the valve body, the members andhence back to the drive means without stressiNg the pipes connected tothe valve.
 8. An operator according to claim 7 wherein the interengagingmeans comprises a pair of spaced apart plates each having a pair ofspaced apart openings, the openings in the plates being aligned witheach other, wherein the members comprise elongate bars extending throughthe openings, and including means for biasing apart ends of the barsremote from the valve to thereby bias the bars into firm contact withthe valve body sides.
 9. An operator according to claim 8 wherein theopenings in one of the plates are defined by holes having a slightlygreater dimension than a cross section of the bars to allow relativepivotal motions of the bar in the hole when the bars are biased againstthe valve body sides.
 10. An operator according to claim 9 including padmeans secured to one side of the bars, and including means permittingrepositioning of the bars in the holes by 180* so that the pads or thebars alternatively engage the valve body sides for adjusting theoperator for use with valves of different sizes.
 11. An operatoraccording to claim 10 including means for removing the socket andreplacing it with a socket of a different size for use of the operatorwith valves having differently sized stems.
 12. An operator according toclaim 8 wherein the drive means includes means defining a pair ofsubstantially parallel, spaced apart edges for connection with themembers, and a reduction drive unit having means complementary to theedges for placement on and removal from the edges to permitdisengagement between the edge defining means, and therewith the valveside engaging members, and the reduction drive unit, respectively. 13.An operator according to claim 12 wherein the means defining the edgesis closely adjacent the means interconnecting portions of the members.14. An operator according to claim 12 including means spacing the edgedefining means from the means interconnecting portions of the membersfor use of the valve operator with inaccessible valves such as valvesburied in the ground.
 15. An operator according to claim 14 wherein themeans spacing the edge defining means comprises tubular means rigidlysecured to the edge defining means and to at least part of the means forinterconnecting portions of the members, and wherein the drive meansincludes a drive bar disposed within the tubular means and extendingover substantially the full length thereof, means rotatably retainingthe drive bar to the tubular means, and means for demountably engagingthe socket and the reduction drive unit with respective ends of thedrive bar.
 16. An operator according to claim 15 wherein an end of thedrive bar adjacent the edge defining means includes means defining asocket, and wherein the drive unit includes means for demountablyengaging such socket for the transmission of rotary motions and torquefrom the drive unit to the drive bar.
 17. An operator according to claim16 wherein the drive unit includes means for grasping the edge definingmeans, the grasping means permitting relative slideable motions betweenthe edge defining means and the drive unit for optional removal of thedrive unit, and including a drive pin for demountably engaging thesocket of the drive bar, and means for retracting the drive pin fromsuch socket to enable disengagement of the drive unit and the drive bar,respectively, for removal of the drive unit from the edge definingmeans.
 18. An adjustable portable operator for use with differentlysized valves for turning relatively high torque valve stems such asencountered on infrequently operated underground valves and the likewithout subjecting pipes connected to the valve to large forces andpossible damage from operating the stem, the operator comprising: firstand second spaced apart plates each plate having a pair of openingsaligned with openings in the other plate, a pair of bars extendingthrough the openings and terminating in a grasping end spaced asubstantial distance from the second plate, means permitting pivotalmovements of the bars in the openings of the second plate, meansadjacent the first plate for biasing apart ends of the bars opposite thegrasping ends to thereby pivot the bars about axes coinciding with theopenings in the second plate and grasp a valve body placed therebetween,a tubular member secured to at least one of the plates and extending asubstantial distance away from the plates, a flange secured to a freeend of the tubular member, the flange having opposite, parallel sides, adrive bar disposed within the tubular member and extending oversubstantially the full length thereof, means rotatably mounting thedrive bar within the tubular member, means for interchangeably securingstem actuating, differently sized sockets to an end of the drive barproximate the plates, a power drive unit comprising a bottom plateincluding a pair of opposite, generally U-shaped members dimensioned toslideably engage the flange edges and thereby demountably secure thedrive unit to the flange, a reduction drive mounted to the bottom plateincluding a driven member, means mounting the driven member for rotationto the bottom plate, the last mentioned means including an opening,means for aligning the opening with the drive bar and means forremovably securing a drive pin in the opening of the driven member, thedrive pin having a length greater than the combined axial length of thedrive member and the bottom plate and an end configuration for engagingthe other end of the drive shaft to impart rotational movements of thedriven member to the drive shaft and thereby, via the stem socket to thevalve stem while torque is transmitted in a closed system from the driveunit to the stem socket, the valve body and hence to the grasping barsand back to the drive unit via the tubular means.
 19. A valve operatorfor turning high torque valve stems of side mounted, infrequently usedvalves buried in the ground and the like and for with valves of varyingconfigurations comprising: a power drive unit defined by a bottom plateincluding a pair of opposing, generally U-shaped brackets, a top platespaced from the bottom plate, and a reduction drive disposed between theplates, the reduction drive including a driven member having an axialaperture, means for rotatably mounting the drive member between theplates, and a drive pin extensible through the axial aperture and pastthe bottom plate, the operator further including yoke means having apair of opposite, spaced apart members for placement over the valve bodyand engaging sides of the valve body, a flange interconnecting themembers and terminating in at least two spaced apart, generally parallelsides dimensioned to fit within the opposing channels of the bottomplate for demountably securing the drive unit to the yoke, the flangeincluding an aperture for extending the drive pin, a stem engagingsocket, and means for demountably interconnecting the socket and thedrive pin to impart rotational motions of the driven member to thesocket and thereby rotate the valve stem without subjecting pipesextending from the valve body to torsional forces generated by thereduction drive.
 20. An operator according to claim 19 including aplurality of yoke means each having a flange with substantiallyidentical parallel sides for engaging the drive unit and members ofdiffering spacings for engaging sides of differently sized valve bodies.21. A portable valve actuator for turning a valve stem withouttransmitting large forces to pipes extending from a body of the valve,the actuator comprising generally U-shaped yoke means including opposingmembers for placement against and engaging the body and meansinterconnecting upper ends of the members, socket means for engaging thestem rotatably mounted to the yoke means, and actuating meansoperatively coupled with the yoke means and the socket means fortransmitting a stem turning force to the socket means and, therewith, tothe stem.
 22. A portable valve actuator for turning a valve stem withouttransmitting large forces to pipes extending from a body of the valve,the actuator comprising elongate, downwardly extending plates spacedapart a sufficient distance for engaging sides of the body with lowerends thereof, a member interconnecting upper ends of the plates, socketmeans disposed between the plates for engaging the stem, means coupledto the socket means, extending through an opening in the member andbeing rotatable relative to the member for rotation of the socket means,means for spacing the member sufficiently from the body and the stem sothat it extends thereacross, and means operatively coupled with themember and the socket means for transmitting a stem turning force to thesocket means and, therewith, to the stem without transmittingsignificant forces to pipes extending from the valve body.
 23. Aportable valve operator for turning a valve stem requiring a relativelylarge torque, the valve having a body mounting the stem and means forconnecting the body to a pipe, the operator comprising: a pair ofopposing, elongate spaced apart plate means for placement against andengagement of opposite sides of the valve body, the plate means having asufficient length so that ends thereof extend above the valve body andthe stem, means interconnecting portions of the plate means extendingbeyond the body, the interconnecting means extending across the valveand the stem at a point spaced thereabove, a socket for engaging thestem, and drive means operatively coupled to both the interconnectingmeans and the socket for turning the socket, and therewith the stem, andfor forming a closed power transmitting system between the socket, thevalve, the plate means and the interconnecting means so that at mostonly minor forces are applied to the pipe even when a relatively largestem operating torque is exerted to the stem.